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Title:
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"The pass-along effect: investigating word-of-mouth effects on online survey procedures" |
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Author:
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Norman, Andrew T.; Russell, Cristel Antonia |
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Abstract:
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Email petitions to complete online surveys may be forwarded beyond the intended sample. We term this phenomenon the pass-along effect and investigate it as a factor that can influence the nature and size of survey samples in an online context. We establish the pass-along effect as a form of word-of-mouth communication and draw from the literature in this area to present and test a model of factors that influence the occurrence
of this effect. The results of two studies provide empirical support for the existence
and impact of the pass-along effect. Among the factors that lead to this effect are
involvement and relationship with the survey topic, size of a participant’s social network,
and tie strength. The appropriateness of employing pass-along respondents as well
as other implications for online sampling and survey research are discussed. |
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Description:
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Andrew T. Norman is a professor of marketing in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. He can be contacted at andrew.norman@drake.edu |
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URI:
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http://hdl.handle.net/2092/497
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Date:
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2006-07 |